Friday 21 September 2018

CANADA DRY















Another wildlife trip with Sandwich Bird Tours,this time to the west coast of Canada taking in Vancouver Island and the fantastic Great Bear Lodge on the mainland reached only by float plane.
Target species were Black and Brown Bears,Sea Otters,Orcas,Humpback and Grey Whales,Sea Lions and of course Bald Eagles.The trip ticked all those boxes and a few more,birds especially passerines were a bit thin on the ground, and in the air,but some quality birds were nevertheless seen.
Arriving at Vancouver airport on Labour Day was not a good idea and it took two hours to clear immigration,however that was soon forgotten as we met up with the rest of the group and the tour leader Ken Walker.
The birdwatching started straight away at George C Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary where Wood Duck,Greater Yellowlegs,Sandhill Cranes,wre the highlights.
 WOOD DUCK
 GREATER YELLOWLEGS


 BARN SWALLOWS Still in the nest,just.
 RED WINGED BLACKBIRD
 RED WINGED BLACKBIRD
FEMALE RED WINGED BLACKBIRD
 BLACK CAPPED CHICKADEE
 A GENUINE CANADA GOOSE.
 SANDHILL CRANE A breeding pair here are quite used to people.
 AMERICAN COOT,My first sighting since the Stodmarsh bird.



WOOD DUCK.
GREAT BLUE HERON.
From here we made our way to the COAST TSAWWASSEN INN,a very comfortable hotel and dinner at Marios,and then to bed the 8 hour time difference was taking its toll.
Next morning it was down to Duke Point for the ferry to Vancouver Island and after some confusion over sailing times we boarded and set off and I was lucky enough to see my first ever Sabines Gull albeit fairly distant on the 2 hour crossing.
Several ships in the container terminal caught my eye.
 NYK
 MSC MICHELA
 ZM ONTARIO
 CAPE RAINBOW
 TROLLERS TROLLING IN THE CHANNEL
 PRINCE OF WHALES we saw no whales on this crossing
 PACIFIC DIVER.
 BRITISH COLUMBIA FERRIES- they have no back or front and with a bridge at both ends they can go both ways.
 WESTERN GARTER SNAKE at LITTLE QUALICUM FALLS.
Next stop would be our base for the next three nights the Bayshore Waterfront in UCLUELET.

THE BAYSHORE WATERFRONT
 A LUXURIOUS LITTLE BED
 NOT A BAD VIEW FROM THE BALCONY EITHER
CANNABIS WILL BE LEGALISED IN CANADA FROM OCTOBER BARRYS GOT A HEAD START.
 BLACK TAILED DEER
 BLACK TAILED DEER
 BELTED KINGFISHER A bird seen every day on the trip.
 WHITE CROWNED SPARROW
 BLACK TAILED DEER
 GLAUCOUS WINGED GULL
 GWG
Breakfast at the BLACK ROCK RESORT was quite special and the scenery was outstanding we also saw black oystercatchers, cedar waxwings a pigeon guillemot,and stellers blue jay.





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A GOOD RESON FOR A LIGHTHOUSE.
BLACK ROCK LIGHTHOUSE.

 STELLERS BLUE JAY
SBJAY taken through the mini bus window.

In the afternoon we went bear watching with Jamies Tours out of Ucluelet
JAMIES RIB


 ALL READY IN CAMOUFLAGE GEAR SO THE BEARS WON`T NOTICE US.








Please indulge me for a few minutes now as there are a few black bear photos,we saw five altogether a mother and two cubs that scarpered straight away this one that didn`t mind us at all and another bear at a different beach that had a gammy rear leg.



BLACK BEAR

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It was time to leave Bruno to his Oyster hunting....
 THE LAST BLACK BEAR the one with the withered leg.
 BALD EAGLE
 WITH HIS BEADY EYE ON US
THATS WHAT HE THOUGHT OF OUR INTRUSION.
Next day was whale watching with Jamie this time out of TOFINO and a visit to Long Beach on the way.....
 CALIFORNIA SEA LION from the balcony.
 BALD EAGLE OUTSIDE THE FRONT DOOR.
 HE SAT THERE ALL MORNING.
 MASTER OF THE AIRWAYS
 WHITE CROWNED SPARROW
 WCS
 WCS MALE
 BELTED KINGFISHER
 BK
 BK
 BK
 BK VERY NOISY BIRD.
 The sea lions were calling this morning

 AMERICAN HERRING GULL
From the balcony.
Long Beach between Ucluelet and Tofino

BOB AND TESS ON THE ROCKS.


 COMMON LOON There were lots of them about. GREAT NORTHERN DIVER to us.
 SANDERLINGS ON THE MARCH AS EVER.

 JOINED BY A SINGLE WESTERN SANDPIPER
 WESTERN SANDPIPER Black legs and a slightly downturned bill tip



KEN WALKER IN REFLECTIVE MOOD.
 STELLERS SEA LION
 GREY WHALE

 HEERMANS GULL

 GREY WHALE SOUNDING


More stunning scenery.





One more night at UCLUELET before heading north to PORT MCNEILL tomorrow.The weather forecast is not great for the rest of the holiday.








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